A common food additive that we all know too well is MSG. Some people say it is bad for you while others say that it is completely safe and harmless even the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) of the United States considers it as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe). So is MSG really safe?

Well, let’s start with the different names that MSG appears as on food labels.

Msg (Monosodium glutamate)

Autolyzed yeast

Hydrolyzed protein

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Sodium caseinate

Yeast nutrient

Yeast extract

Textured Protein

Torulo yeast

Glutamate

Glutamic acid

Even though it is not labeled, MSG can usually be found in

Flavors/Flavorings

Seasonings

Natural Flavors/Natural Flavorings

Natural Pork Flavoring

Natural Beef Flavoring

Natural Chicken Flavoring

Soy Sauce

Soy Protein Isolate

Soy Protein

Bouillon

Stock

Broth

Malt Extract

Malt Flavoring

Barley Malt

Anything Enzyme Modified

Carrageenan

Maltodextrin

Pectin

Corn Starch

Corn Oil

Anything Ultra-Pasteurized

In a study conducted in North and South china, people where compared on how much MSG they had in their diet. The study concluded that the more people ate MSG the more likely they would be overweight. In animal studies, MSG can create lesions (a damaged spot) in the hypothalamus within the brain as well as cause leptin resistance.

Leptin is a hormone produced in fat cells. When leptin levels are high they tell the brain to eat less and to burn more energy. When leptin levels are low they tell the brain to eat more (the thinks the body is starving) and to conserve energy. So, when someone is leptin resistant, the brain does not respond to leptin properly thinking that the body has low leptin levels. This in turns makes the brain think that the person is starting thus making them eat more and gain weight. Leptin communicates with the hypothalamus of the brain. Now, if MSG damages this part of the brain then what do you think happens? The brain may think it is starving and will not respond to leptin properly.

Some symptoms of MSG consumption especially if intolerant include

Burning sensation in the back of the neck, forearms and chest

Numbness in the back of the neck, radiating to the arms and back

Tingling, warmth and weakness in the face, temples, upper back, neck and arms

Chest pain

Headache

Nausea

Rapid heartbeat

Bronchospasm (difficulty breathing) in MSG-intolerant people with asthma

MSG causes its damage by exciting brain cells to death. To an extent (not completely), magnesium, the proper forms of vitamin C and vitamin E can protect the brain from dangerous neurotoxins such as MSG. Additionally, MSG has been shown to cross the placenta and affect the brain of the developing child in the womb. The progressive damage to the brain by MSG over many years can also be one of the causative agents in people who develop Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s.

So, why is it added to food? As you know, MSG increases the flavor and aroma of food. This is great for companies as it makes their food more desirable and tasty, so that people keep coming back for more. This is great news for companies and restaurants to help sell their products and increase business.

As you can see, MSG causes many health problems and damages the brain. So, why have we not seen it banned?

The reason lies in that the glutamate industry (those who have a financial interest in MSG to boost their profit) created the nonprofit organization called International Glutamate Technical Committee(IGTC) and The Glutamate Association (TGA) back in 1977. The IGTC is the research organization for the MSG industry. The IGTC spends money in the form of research grants getting scientists and institutions to conduct studies which promote MSG as being safe for human consumption. While The International Food Information Council(IFIC) which is primarily funded by the food industry along with TGA promote to the public that MSG is safe for humans often funding different health organizations.

As you can see, in the world we live in, MSG won’t disappear any time soon. Therefore, it is up to you to take matters into your own hands and protect the health of your family and loved ones.

Are you taking Western medicine? If you are, are you aware of the following?

When someone hears about a new medication, the discerning patient may ask, “Does this medication have any side effects?” Well, it is commendable to ask about side effects as no one may want to have a headache from this medication or constipation from this other one. Let alone some of the more serious side effects of certain medications that can be quite devastating like blood clots or heart damage to name a few. Good thing is not everyone will suffer a side effect when taking a medication or be aware of one. Nevertheless, there is something that most people are not aware of when taking western medication and even short term use can have a negative impact.

Medications can strip the body of vital vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

How serious can this be? Well, let’s see what some medications can do.

Another major group of drugs that help lower cholesterol known as Statins also lower CoQ10 levels by preventing the production of the enzyme in the body.

Some medications deplete the body of nutrients by making it work faster. This includes gout medication (Colchicine), some steroids, and some antibiotics such as Penicillin (depletes potassium) and gentamicin (causes imbalances of magnesium, potassium, and calcium).

Be aware that the list above does not cover all medications since not all medications have been studied to see if they deplete vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Hopefully, this gives you a better perspective concerning Western medicine sometimes called conventional medicine. As you can see, these medicines not only can cause side effects, but nutritional deficiencies and in turn the nutritional deficiencies can adverse effect your health. So, the foundation to being healthy is having a balanced organic or gmo-free diet. However, many people need supplementation with vitamins, minerals and nutrients, since their diets are poor, do not have the knowledge of a proper diet, do not have access to good quality food, or a combination of these factors.

Supplementation with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients needs to be tailored to each person. Each person needs certain vitamins and minerals which are dependent on a combination of factors such as current age, health status, emotional state, nutritional status, etc.

For example, someone asks a popular seller on the internet, “What is good for my anemia?” So, the seller with limited to no health knowledge who has copied and pasted from other people’s articles on the internet to gain credibility tells the person, “I have this great iron product which will fix your anemia problem.” The seller doesn’t take into account or probably doesn’t even know that there are many kinds of anemia caused by different nutritional deficiencies or that the patient may be having a life threatening bleed that needs to be seen by a doctor. Say, if the buyer’s iron deficiency is not the cause of the person’s anemia and it is caused by a cobalamin or folate deficiency or some other nutritional deficiency and the buyer’s iron level is actually normal. What happens now? The trusting buyer takes the extra iron. We know the buyer’s anemia is not corrected. In the course of weeks or months, the buyer starts to begin exhibiting symptoms of iron toxicity such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of body hair, joint diseases, chronic infection, liver failure, and internal bleeding. Would you like to be that buyer? I wouldn’t.

Let me give you one more example. Say, if another buyer asks the same seller,” I have osteoporosis (brittle bones).” The seller says, “I have this calcium supplement which is great for bones!” The buyer agrees and purchases and takes the calcium. In this case, the buyer and seller are not aware of the need for vitamin D, vitamin K2, and magnesium are also needed in order for the calcium to go to the bones. Without proper direction calcium can deposit in arteries increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Now, when taking calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, and magnesium it needs to be given in the proper ratios as well. So, as you can see it is not as simple as just giving someone calcium. Again, would you like to be that buyer? You, already know our answer. I can give you plenty more examples, but I think these two have gotten our point across.

As you can see the seller just wants to know enough to sound convincing to attract as many buyers as possible. To the seller, business is business. There is a saying that goes, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” However, as you can see, the seller lacks the proper knowledge to suggest an appropriate product to the buyer. Yes, there are at times the seller is correct, the symptoms are not so severe, or there is no beneficial or harmful effect. Nevertheless, a broken clock is always correct twice a day.

By reading our articles which we carefully research, it shows that you are taking the time and have an active interest in your health. We applaud you in taking control of your health. So, out of concern for your safety and health, always keep in mind what knowledge the seller of vitamins, minerals, and supplements has. If you tell them that you have a certain problem and they state this is good for it without asking for more information than just the basics. You as the potential buyer beware, be very very careful.

Please be very discerning about who you buy products from.

We wish you continued great health.

https://eliaus.com/disclaimer

The ALLHAT Officers and Coordinators for the ALLHAT Collaborative Research Group. JAMA 2002;288:2998-3007.

It is one of the fat soluble vitamins. This means one needs to consume fat in order to absorb it. Two main forms of Vitamin A are beta-carotene and retinol. There are other forms as well. Beta-carotene needs to be converted by the body to retinol before it can be used. On the other hand, retinol can be immediately used.

Which is the best form of Vitamin A?

So, now you know there are two main forms of Vitamin A beta-carotene and retinol. Beta carotene comes from plant sources such as fruits and vegetables.

All beta-carotene needs to be converted by the body in order to be functional retinol. It would take someone with perfect health at the very least 6 units of beta carotene in order to convert to 1 unit of retinol. This would mean, you would have to eat over 2000 grams (2 kilograms) of cooked carrots to get the same amount of vitamin A as if you ate 85 grams of beef liver. Most of us are not in perfect health let alone love carrots that much.

Well it can be if you a synthetic form of vitamin A. Additionally, always be mindful of your dietary and supplemental intake as well. The safest forms of vitamin A are from your diet and from whole food sources which are vitamins made from foods rather than vitamin A or beta-carotene made in some laboratory. Synthetic vitamin A (common in cheap vitamins) is quite toxic as synthetic beta-carotene has been linked to an increased cancer and heart disease risk in those who smoke and drink alcohol

Signs of vitamin A toxicity include:

Bone loss

Confusion

Hair loss

Liver damage

In order for vitamin A to be used properly you need to keep in mind the following

Needs zinc to help your vision

Needs fat to be absorbed

Needs vitamin D

Needs vitamin K2

Needs magnesium

In conclusion, vitamin A is very important for the body to function normally. First and foremost, make sure you get your vitamin A from your diet (preferably animal sources) and if you need additional vitamin A it is best to get it from whole food supplements. It is important to make sure you get sufficient zinc, fat, vitamin D, vitamin K2, and magnesium, so you your body can fully make use of the vitamin A in your diet. Avoid all synthetic forms of vitamin A and watch your dietary and supplemental intake of vitamin A.

Who doesn’t want to have a beautiful and healthy smile? Most people envy models and fashionable people with perfect looking teeth. Not only is a great smile great to have, but a healthy mouth is very essential to good health. Why, you may ask.

Oil pull first thing in the morning before you brush your teeth or drink anything

Swish gently to avoid a sore mouth or jaw with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (15ml) in your mouth and between your teeth for 10 to 20 minutes.

Spit out the oil in the trash as you don’t want to clog up the drain then rinse your mouth out with warm salty water.

Brush your teeth.

Generally, it takes a week for initial effects and a month or more for long lasting effects. Oil pulling should be done every other day. A great thing is that it does not dry out your mouth like certain mouthwashes. Coconut oil has many other beneficial uses which we will discuss in future articles.

Research published in the Journal of Periodontology suggests that poor oral health may increase the risk of respiratory infections such as pneumonia, acute bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as bacteria from the upper throat which is close to the mouth can be inhaled into the lungs. Bad bacteria can also access the lungs via the blood.

2. Cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, strokes, atherosclerosis)

3. Bacterial endocarditis (Infection of the heart)

4. Preterm birth and low birth weight

5. Erectile Dysfunction

6. Developing certain kinds of cancers (kidney, pancreatic, blood)

7. Digestive problems

8. Serious dental infection (some if not treated can kill you as the dangerous bacteria spreads into your bloodstream causing a systemic infection)

So, as you can see having a healthy mouth can mean much more than having good looking and clean teeth. Just spending a few minutes every day can really improve your health.

H. pylori is commonly found in the stomach of two thirds of the world’s population. This bacteria is responsible for most ulcers of the stomach and top part of the small intestine. Furthermore, H. pylori is a prime cause of gastric cancer. Not to scare you, but gastric cancer is responsible for the second most cancer related deaths in the world and the third most common cancer in China.

Over half the Chinese population gets H. pylori in childhood. Typically, it is spread by mouth-to-mouth contact (spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, acquaintance) as well as from contaminated food and water. So, a family member can have it and give it to you usually by sharing their spoon, fork, cup, chopsticks that has been poorly washed. Additionally, one can get it when eating at a restaurant from poorly washed utensils, plates, and cups or someone who is infected with the bacteria didn’t wash their hands after going to the restroom then prepared or served your food.

When H. pylori is treated, make sure to treat the whole family at the same time as they may be also infected with the bacteria. If you miss treating one family member, the whole family can get infected again. Wash everything in hot soapy water.

In one clinical study, people from Shandong, China who had their H. pylori bacterial infection eliminated 15 years earlier were shown to have an almost 40 percent reduced rate of gastric cancer. There are also other risk factors for gastric cancer which include tobacco smoking (so stop smoking), chronic gastritis (inflammation of the stomach), diet high in smoked, salted, or chemically preserved foods, and a diet low in fruits and vegetables.

如何对付幽门螺杆菌？

常规疗法

1）抗生素（有20%再次感染的机会，治疗可以导致摧毁大部分有益细菌导致真菌感染）

- 在服用抗生​​素时，请确保在治疗期间服用正确的益生菌以减少真菌感染的机会

自然 疗法

1）益生菌（用细菌灭菌，知道用哪些很重要）

2）某些绿茶（不是所有的绿茶都有效果）

3）大蒜（特别是生大蒜（不煮熟），彻底洗干净或轻轻煮熟）

4）西兰花

5）一些初采蜂蜜（麦卢卡蜂蜜）

6）欧米茄3

7）益生菌食品（来自A2母牛的有机原料乳，有机羊奶和有机牛奶的有机原料乳制品）

确保避免或减少

1）辣食物

2）腌制食品

3）用白面粉制成的食物

4）咖啡

5）苏打水

6）咖啡因丰富的食物，如巧克力和某些糖果

7）压力

How does one fight H. pylori?

Conventionally

Antibiotics (have a 20% chance of getting the infection again and the treatment destroys most of your good bacteria leading to possible fungal infections)

-Make sure when taking antibiotics you take the proper probiotics during treatment to reduce the chance of a fungal infection

Naturally

Probiotics (Fight bacteria with bacteria. Important to know which ones.)

If one member has it treat the whole family conventionally or naturally

Use your own utensils (cup, plate, chopsticks, spoon, fork, knife)

Do not eat poorly/prepared cooked food.

So, with a change in diet and lifestyle one can lower one’s risks of complications from a H. pylori infection. Have you been tested? Are you ready to make the necessary changes? Are you ready to reduce your risk factors for stomach cancer?

So, most people may state that I have always been this way, but vitamin deficiencies occur slowly over time. Frequently, so slowly most times that the person with the deficiency does not realize it at all. Friends or loved ones are more likely to sense the changes than you are. Have you ever heard a friend who hasn’t seen you in weeks state, “you seem like you have gained some weight” or “you look pale, are you ok?”

When one does not have enough vitamins and minerals to produce enough red blood cells to bring life sustaining oxygen to your body, one is said to have anemia. There are many causes of vitamin deficiency anemia which quite frequently cannot be attributed to just being “low in iron”. Many different vitamins and minerals are required to form healthy bloods cells including iron.

Folate deficient anemia causes:

Poor diet/Non organic diet

Vegetarian/Vegan

Overcooking your food

Poor digestion/absorption -> The right and good quality probiotics, reduce inflammation in the digestive system

Vitamin C deficient anemia

Poor digestion/absorption -> The right and good quality probiotics, reduce inflammation in the digestive system

Chronic illness

Foods that worsen anemia

Coffee

Soda

Bran

Conventional dairy (Non-organic)

Black Tea

Chocolate

Processed grains

Sugars

Sweeteners

The following above highlights the importance of having a good well balanced diet of fresh organic foods and if that is not possible to have at least a daily multivitamin to help fill in the gaps in your diet. Additionally, some people may still need additional supplementation and with some conditions such as pernicious anemia medical intervention from a medical doctor (vitamin B 12 shots). Having the proper form of these vitamins and minerals are important. Otherwise, the body may not be able to absorb them properly causing one to still have the deficiency or causing harm to the body. Therefore, if you supplement, always make sure to get the proper forms, quantities of vitamins and minerals.

Too busy?

Have you thought about you and your family's health?

With the advent of our busy modern lifestyle, we are stressed, eat whatever we can get our hands on, and are exposed to many pollutants from our food, water, air, and modern medicine. Due to this, today, many suffer from poor health and a host of medical problems to an extent never before witnessed. Many have chosen the route of going on with their routines hoping that modern medicine will help them with their maladies. However, since modern medicine has become ever abundant, rates of asthma, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, digestion problems, allergies, insomnia, male problems, female problems, liver problems, autoimmune disorders, and even cancer has exploded in children as well as adults.

Modern medicine was created to help with specific conditions, but the components are synthesized in a laboratory or factory and come with many different additives to make the capsules, tablet, liquid, vaccine, etc. They may be regulated, but many of the components are foreign to the body, putting additional stress on our livers, kidneys, and other organs used for detoxification. They may fix or help with a condition, but regularly cause an imbalance of something else within the body, thus the reason for almost all medicines causing some array of side effects. So think about it, has modern medicine really improved our health?

With our busy modern lifestyle, many don’t worry about the food we eat, or forget to each a meal or two during the day. Farming methods used have depleted the soil of many nutrients and have sprayed crops with many pesticides, so the food many consume is less nutritious and can cause harm. Many of the foods people consume are processed, even synthetic. Many of our foods are contaminated or not what is says it to be on the label. You’ve probably heard of stories of dangerous baby formulas, rice made out of plastic, tainted meat, and a whole other host of scary headlines concerning our food. Many additives can cause harm to the body such as mono sodium glutamate, saccharin, plastics, aspartame, and a whole host more. Foods are now even becoming genetically modified, like corn that produces its own pesticide killing the insects that try to eat it or soy plants that are more resistant to pesticide allowing farmers to add heavier doses of pesticide to these plants. What are your thoughts, do you think consuming these foods and additives will lead to good health or perhaps great harm instead?

Our water sources have been polluted with heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, chlorine byproducts, fertilizer, fluoride, fuel propellants, industrial solvents, pharmaceutical drugs, plasticizers, and radioactive isotopes, sometimes bacteria, cancer causing agents and a whole host more of health damaging components. Many think that drinking bottled water is safer, but a good portion is just repackaged more expensive tap water. Many toxins found in bottled water are not regulated either. Do you trust the water you drink?

What about the air we breathe? Many are aware of the problem of carbon monoxide which reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the body’s organs and tissue. However, there is also ozone which deceases lung function making asthma worse. Metal industries, waste burners, and leaded aircraft fuel damages the nervous system affecting memory learning and IQ as well as negative effects on the heart and kidneys. Particulate matter from wood, coal, and diesel can cause great detriment to the lung, heart, brain, nerves, liver, and kidneys. If you are staying indoors all day, many times indoor air quality is worse than outdoors, but many will ask, what to do?

Hope, I haven’t scared you, but there are practical ways of improving your health. It may take some time and effort. There are some strategies that I will discuss in future posts. However, a great way to start is by changes in diet and with supplementation of that diet with vitamins, minerals, and healthy food based supplements. Please be aware that not all vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements are created equally, some can be contaminated like fish oil with mercury, tablets with harmful additives, or synthetic vitamins, not recognized by the body which causes more harm than good. Additionally, people who try to supplement their diet themselves may be getting too much of a vitamin or mineral which can cause toxicity or an interaction with another supplement, herbal, medical condition, or a medication they are taking. So, it is always good to ask those who know. When used properly with the proper forms of them that the body recognizes vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements can really improve your health. So, are you up for the task to live a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle? If so, what are you waiting for?